Brandwave

How popular isMessenger?

In September 2026, people searched for Messenger by name about 4,870 times in New Zealand, a 12.7% decrease from the previous year. These searches made up 1.4% of all New Zealand messaging app searches, placing Messenger fifth out of seven apps. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about messaging apps, Messenger appeared in four of the five answers and was the third most recommended of the seven.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

Messenger is the fifth most searched of 7 competitors and the third most recommended in AI answers.

  1. WhatsAppShare of searches 54.8%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
  2. DiscordShare of searches 35.1%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 5th
  3. TelegramShare of searches 4.8%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
  4. WeChatShare of searches 2.2%Mentioned in 0 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
  5. MessengerShare of searches 1.4%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd

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Top messaging apps in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Messenger was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Messenger is the third most recommended of the seven.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. WhatsApp1st
  2. Signal2nd
  3. Messenger3rd
  4. Telegram4th
  5. Discord5th
  6. WeChat–
  7. Viber–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • WhatsApp5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Signal5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Telegram4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Messenger4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Discord3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • WeChat0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Viber0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about messaging apps

5 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 19, 2026.

Which messaging apps compete with Messenger?

Messenger against messaging apps in New Zealand, by month

Share of searches by month for WhatsApp, Discord, Telegram, WeChat, Messenger. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthWhatsAppDiscordTelegramWeChatMessengerViberSignal
Oct 202547.9%41%5%2.6%1.6%1.3%0.62%
Nov 202546.6%43.2%4.4%2.2%1.7%1.4%0.47%
Dec 202545.4%42.6%5.1%2.3%2%1.8%0.69%
Jan 202649.5%38.4%5.4%2.4%1.8%1.8%0.74%
Feb 202649.9%38.7%5.5%2.3%1.5%1.5%0.64%
Mar 202650%39%5.5%2.2%1.5%1.2%0.55%
Apr 202647.5%40.9%6%2.3%1.6%1.2%0.58%
May 202650.4%39%5.4%1.9%1.3%1.3%0.58%
Jun 202654%34.5%5.8%2.2%1.7%1.3%0.59%
Jul 202651.3%36.6%6.1%2.3%1.8%1.2%0.63%
Aug 202654.1%34.6%5.7%2.3%1.7%1.2%0.55%
Sep 202654.8%35.1%4.8%2.2%1.4%1.2%0.55%

  1. 1.WhatsApp

    54.8%

    Held 1st. 186K estimated branded searches, -0.18% vs prior month. Share +0.6 points.

  2. 2.Discord

    35.1%

    Held 2nd. 119K estimated branded searches, +0.28% vs prior month. Share +0.6 points.

  3. 3.Telegram

    4.8%

    Held 3rd. 16.1K estimated branded searches, -17% vs prior month. Share -0.9 points.

  4. 4.WeChat

    2.2%

    Held 4th. 7.5K estimated branded searches, -2.8% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  5. 5.Messenger

    1.4%

    Held 5th. 4.9K estimated branded searches, -15.3% vs prior month. Share -0.2 points.

  6. 6.Viber

    1.2%

    Held 6th. 4K estimated branded searches, -0.75% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  7. 7.Signal

    0.55%

    Held 7th. 1.9K estimated branded searches, -1.6% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

Compare popularity between Messenger and its closest rivals

Every comparison with Messenger

6 comparisons

How has branded search demand for Messenger changed in New Zealand over the last 12 months?

2 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Messenger in New Zealand fell from 5.6K to 4.9K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Messenger’s share of searches among messaging apps in New Zealand held steady, from 1.6% to 1.4%.

How did search popularity change for New Zealand messaging apps in September 2026?

6 changes

  1. In September 2026, WhatsApp gained share of searches among messaging apps in New Zealand, from 54.1% to 54.8%.

  2. In September 2026, Discord gained share of searches among messaging apps in New Zealand, from 34.6% to 35.1%.

  3. In September 2026, Telegram lost share of searches among messaging apps in New Zealand, from 5.7% to 4.8%.

  4. Estimated monthly branded searches for WeChat in New Zealand fell 15.3% over 12 measured months, from 8.9K to 7.5K in September 2026.

  5. Estimated monthly branded searches for Signal in New Zealand fell 13.5% over 12 measured months, from 2.1K to 1.9K in September 2026.

  6. Estimated monthly branded searches for Viber in New Zealand fell 12.7% over 12 measured months, from 4.5K to 4K in September 2026.

How are Messenger’s branded searches counted?

5 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Messenger’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

  • deleted messages messenger
  • disappearing messages messenger
  • fb messenger app
  • messenger app
  • messenger messages

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Who owns Messenger?

Messenger is owned by Meta. Brandwave also tracks Facebook, Instagram, Meta Ads, Meta Business Suite, Meta Quest, Threads, WhatsApp and Workplace, owned by the same company, in New Zealand.

Do you work for Messenger? To request corrections or removal please contact us via our support page and we will be happy to assist.

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